Posts by bfreebz
Cacao Fellow, Mark Canti Illustrates Passion for Wildlife
BFREE Cacao Fellow, Mark Canti, continues to shine in various disciplines at BFREE. In his first year of the two-year Cacao Fellowship program, Mark has proven to be talented in cacao grafting and data collection. Though his focus is primarily on cacao, Mark has expressed that his interests are more than just agroforestry and that…
Read MoreZoo New England Staff Use Morphometric Imagery to Determine Sex of Hicatee Turtles at BFREE
Bryan Windmiller and Emilie Wilder from Zoo New England join the BFREE Team to support the Bi-Annual Hicatee Health Assessment at the BFREE Biological Field Station in southern Belize. The March 2022 Health Assessments of the critically endangered Hicatee Turtle, Dermatemys mawii, focused on determining the sax ratios of the captive-bred Hicatee. In this video,…
Read MoreDetermining sex ratios on captive-born Hicatee
The March bi-annual health assessment for Dermatemys mawii began on Saturday, March 5, and will wrap up on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. This is the first health assessment since March 2020 that we’ve been able to invite participants from abroad. The Hicatee Conservation and Research Center has experienced successful breeding of our captive population of…
Read MoreHAPPY 2-22-22!
In honor of this fun date, we’ve compiled a list full of 22’s from around BFREE! ? A long-term scientific study at BFREE verified that at least 22 individual jaguars live on the BFREE property. ? Head Ranger, Sipriano Canti, embarks on his 22nd year as a Park Ranger within the Bladen Nature Reserve and…
Read MoreDocumenting Dermatemys mawii courtship, breeding, and nesting
by Thomas Pop and Jonathan Dubon Last year, HCRC Manager, Thomas Pop, and Wildlife Fellow, Jonathan Dubon, separately witnessed two amazing events during their daily work at the Hicatee Conservation and Research Center. Tom observed captive Dermatemys mawii (Hicatee turtle) exhibiting courtship behavior and mating and later Jonathan recorded a female Hicatee laying eggs. Both events…
Read MoreFrom Seeds to Trees
A couple of years ago, the Jobillo tree next to the house where I live at BFREE, began dropping flowers. The dry season was in full force, so it must have been around May when I noticed the first bunch of delicate, perfect, pale, white blooms. I collected a few out of curiosity and asked…
Read MoreThe Future of Conservation in Belize is in our Hands!
Will you help us build the future of conservation for Belize? Together, we can continue to offer professional training, conduct biodiversity research, sustainable agriculture, conserve the tropical rainforest, and educate Belize’s up-and-coming conservation leaders. Thanks to a small contingent of committed donors, all donations up to $75,000 will be matched dollar for dollar. The future of…
Read MoreCelebrate the 5th Annual Hicatee Awareness Month!
Please join BFREE and the Hicatee Awareness Planning Committee in celebrating the 5th Annual Hicatee Awareness Month this October! The Hicatee turtle is the only living species in an ancient family dating back 65 million years. This turtle has outlived the dinosaurs! Unfortunately, the Hicatee now faces a high risk of extinction due to overhunting. …
Read MoreIntroducing #CantiCam
This July, BFREE launched a new wildlife monitoring program with Panthera Wildlife Cameras. These cameras are designed to endure the wet, humid rainforest conditions and are perfect for the BFREE Privately Protected Area. Protected Areas Manager and Head Park Ranger, Sipriano Canti, is tasked with managing the project. Canti states “With this monitoring program, we…
Read MoreJournal Article on Predation of Turkey Vulture at BFREE
Press Release #7: Reprinted from the Raptor Research Foundation Journal of Raptor Research 55(3) Predation on Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura): A new observation and review Authors: Steven G. Platt, Heather A. Barrett, Leonardo Ash, Jacob A, Marlin, Shane Boylan, and Thomas R. Rainwater. The Turkey Vulture is a relatively well-studied scavenging bird common throughout much…
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